Beasts in Jungle

January 24th: Spelunking and Climbing in Windy Cave

Feb 2, 2014

Day 103

Windy Cave is a must-see at Crazy Horse Buttress. For access, the guide-book says a headlamp is not necessary, but I highly recommend taking one. There is a bit of a drop as you enter and it’s quite hard to see when you squeeze through the narrow channel.

Also while climbing in the cave, some of the bolts and hand holds are obscured by shadows depending on the time of day and headlamp will definitely help. Climbing the 6A+ in the quiet of the cave makes you acutely aware of the sound of your breathing and the clinking of quickdraws. We found ourselves whispering as if we were in a temple. If the 6A+ is sacred then the 7A sacrilegious. Under the headlamp, you can clearly see the sparkling limestone formation. Since the cave is an enclosed environment, everything is coated in a fine layer of dust, which makes the second crux nerve rattling. With a lot of shaky breathing, screams, and several falls I made it to the anchor.